Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #121951

Jung Yee Kim, MPH¹, Margaret L. Knight, RN, MEd², Daniel M. Rosenblum, PhD¹, Judith B. Klotz, DrPH³, and Stanley H. Weiss, MD⁴. (1) Preventive Medicine & Community Health, UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, 30 Bergen Street, ADMC 16, Suite 1614, Newark, NJ 07107-3000, 973-972-4623, kimjy@umdnj.edu, (2) Division of Epidemiology, Environmental & Occupational Health, Office of Cancer Control and Prevention, New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, P.O. Box 369, 3635 Quakerbridge Road, Trenton, NJ 08625-0369, (3) UMDNJ-School of Public Health, 30 Bergen Street, ADMC 16, Suite 1614, Newark, NJ 07107-3000, (4) Epidemiology, UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, 30 Bergen St, Bldg 16, Suite ADMC 1614, Newark, NJ 07107-3000

As part of implementing the New Jersey Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan in 2003–2005, cancer capacity and needs were assessed under our direction in each county by health planners from community-level organizations. These assessments included standardized evaluations of population demographics, analysis of cancer incidence and mortality rates and distribution of disease stage at diagnosis, and rough estimates of prevalence. Efforts were made to identify health disparities within the county and compared to the state as a whole. County and state priorities for implementation by countywide cancer coalitions were developed using these data-driven processes.

The types and sources of data will be reviewed. Problems related to using published data calculated on the basis of standardized populations will be discussed. Limitations of other data sources will be reviewed. Approaches to analyzing incidence and mortality rates and staging data will also be described. Health planners were recruited based on knowledge of and interest in their communities. However, their familiarity with the use and interpretation of epidemiologic data varied. We identified several types of common errors; suggestions for avoiding these in future planning efforts will be discussed.

Policy decisions, levels of public support, and funding together influence the ability to improve cancer outcomes. The critical components of this process are accurate, up-to-date assessment of community resources and identification of the community's specific cancer needs. Appropriate use and interpretation of epidemiologic data are critical to successful implementation at state and local levels.

Learning Objectives: Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of the session, the participant will be able to (
• Identify key components of a state comprehensive cancer control plan. (
• Assess the feasibility of and resources needed for conducting a comprehensive cancer capacity and needs assessment from an epidemiologic standpoint. (
• Describe strategies to expand partnerships with state and local cancer control planners. (
• Describe benefits and limitations of local implementation approaches. (
• Be able to apply a simplified methodology to develop prevalence estimates. (
• Better understand issues related to cancer disparities in Latino communities.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

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